Avatar Plotholes Unearthed and Explained
by OftheWind
Summary: So there's a lot that's left unexplained in the Avatar world. Things directly in the plot and things not. They're going to be showed and explained here and now for all of our convenience and for closure. If you have any you want featured, e-mail me!


Avatar Plotholes - Unearthed

Plothole 1: Aang's Family

"Why is she acting this way?"

"Because she is giving birth right now!"

"No…does a pregnant woman usually thrive this way? So desperately! This is a sign; she will die after this baby is born!"

"Do not say that!"

"She is free to say what she likes. Either way it is like she is possessed!"

"Push! I want you to push harder! It's coming! The baby is coming right now!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"It's almost done. Just two more pushes, hear that? It's almost out!"

"Why is my baby…not crying?"

"I don't know but its eyes are open. It's moving, it's alive and well! One more push! Come on!"

"Ah! This is wonderful!"

"He's a boy! Hear that? You birthed a boy!"

"But why is he not crying?"

"He's smiling. Look!"

The baby started laughing as he was being tended to and cleaned.

"He must be the gentlest spirit in a baby that I've ever seen."

"I believe he is at peace."

A monk entered the room, "It is done?"

"Yes." A nun turned towards the mother, "Do you want to hold your baby?"

The nun heaved her breaths and closed her eyes, taking the newborn into her hands weakly, "He will be named…Aang…"

Another nun ran and caught the laughing baby as her fellow nun dropped the child. Catching and holding Aang close to her chest, she breathed easy and cradled him. Looking up to see that her fears were confirmed. The mother named her baby with her dying breath.

A nun turned to the monk, "Who has no pupil? This is a special child. He will be given to one of the elders. A baby that does not cry and…his mother dies when he is born. He is truly a child born of the cycle. A life for a death."

The monk bowed to the nuns, "I will take the baby to them. He must be familiar with his mentor." Taking Aang in his grasp, he fled the room and traveled to another part of the temple, where the elders were having a meeting.

The monks turned to the man and raised brows, seeing him pant from his rush to get to their chamber. He held the giggling baby towards them, "This child has taken a life to be born. One of the elders must be his mentor…he is special! The nuns have felt it and foreseen it!"

"Gyatso, you have no pupil."

Monk Gyatso stood from the circle and walked towards the man, taking the baby into his hands. The infant reached up to him and smiled at him. He smiled back down at the baby, "I see. It is of the cycle that I be your mentor. You who was not born crying, but at peace. You will be a Master of your element." He looked up to the monk, "What is his name?"

The younger monk bowed, "Aang."

A nun came into the chamber, tearful and bowing, "She…she has passed."

The elder monks rose from their seats to go see the mother and the nuns.

Monk Gyatso cradled Aang, looking to the young monk, "Are you his father?"

The monk blushed and shook his head, turning away, "His father is at the Western Air Temple. I am the twin brother of the father."

"Separated identical twins, a passed nun, and a child born at peace. This is truly not an ordinary child."

The young monk nodded, taking a bow, "I must be going now. I must alert my brother that his baby is born."

Monk Gyatso nodded, "Indeed. Go on then. I will look after Aang."

Watching the young monk leave, he looked back to Aang, "You're already used to me aren't you?"

The baby cooed and drooled, blowing spit bubbles.

"I know. I promise to be a fine airbending teacher and I will make you a Master. With these circumstances, I think you are even more special than we all think." He chuckled, "You might be the Avatar with all this fuss going on about your birth. Most of the air temples are going to spark into life about you little Aang."

The elder monks returned, all seriously looking to Gyatso and the baby, then bowing in his presence, "Gyatso…this child we believe is the Avatar."

He widened his eyes and held Aang securely on instinct, "You are not serious! Does this mean that my old friend Roku is dead? The same Roku who came here all those years ago and always wrote to us after? Who was our friend as children when he came to learn airbending with us?!"

The monks held their heads low, "A child that is born in a trade for the life of another, including that of an Avatar _is_ the next Avatar. We have not heard news of Avatar Roku's death yet."

Monk Gyatso narrowed his eyes, "Aang was born during special circumstances. That is all. Roku can't be dead. Aang can't be the Avatar." He turned and left with the baby to go to a secluded place.

A monk called after him, "Gyatso…when the father receives the message that his son is born, he will come rushing back here from the Western Air Temple. Your time to bond with the child will be over. You will have to hand him over. His uncle is getting over the shocks of tonight. If anything happens to the father during his travels, the uncle will take him in as his own. You know the customs. You won't see the child till he is ready to be taught."

Monk Gyatso walked away with Aang, enraged that they would so boldly state the death of their dearest friend, Avatar Roku, with no proof. Avatar Roku was like a brother to him. When he spoke to the baby, he was only kidding that he might be the Avatar! Looking at calm, peaceful infant Aang, he softened, "Maybe he isn't dead and you will just be a gifted child. I pray you are not the Avatar Aang."

The baby hiccupped.

"I know Aang, I know."

*

"With heavy hearts, we lay Nun Demoska next to her lover. Monk Jigako, 18, was destined to become one of the greatest young airbenders we've ever seen. Monk Jigako rushed from the Western Air temple and was defeated by firebenders as he traveled. He fought to his last breath, as witnesses say, against Fire Lord Sozin who rode the back of a dragon. Monk Jigako had a kind and quiet spirit. He never spoke unless spoken to. Even so, he was always at peace. We've all witnessed his happiness when being with Nun Demoska. Even I, his mentor, Monk Iagu, could see how happy, at peace, and full of life he was. He was a man who truly reached enlightenment and was to become an elder at the due age. He was happy to become a father."

"Nun Demoska, 20, was a beautiful, cheerful and hopeful, bright nun. Happy to carry a life inside of her. She displayed her knowledge at a young prodigious age not as a bender, but as a leader and healer. She was the direct student of Nun Mina, head of the nuns and their traditions at every Air Temple. Her teacher states she was able to airbend, however not nearly as skilled and great as her lover. She preferred life as a nun rather than a monk. Quote from her teacher 'Though it had nothing to do with her love interest'. She passed giving birth to her son, Aang, who is now without either parent."

"Monk Jiao, 18, identical twin brother of Monk Jigako, is the sole family member left to care for little Aang."

The horns were blown and bison flew by behind the funeral giving out roars into the distance.

In Jiao's hands, Aang began to writhe and cry. Jiao looked to his nephew with a heavy heart, whispering gently, "Don't worry. I'm gonna take care of you little buddy."

*

Monk Gyatso knocked on the door gently, waiting as Jiao opened the door, balancing Aang on his hip. Seeing who it was, he immediately bowed to the best of his ability, "Elder it is an honor to see you here!"

Monk Gyatso smiled, seeing Aang, "The pleasure is mine. May I come in?"

He nodded eagerly, straightening up, "Yes yes of course!" He moved out the way, watching the elder come into the house and closing the door behind him. He quirked a brow, "I know that you're his chosen mentor, but aren't you not supposed to see him until he is old enough and ready?"

"I know. But I come with an urgent message that the elder monks speak of tirelessly."

"What is it?"

"We have no confirmation yet, but the monks suspect that your nephew is the Avatar."

Jiao blinked, raising the 8 month old Aang to eye level and looking at him, "He…he is!?"

Monk Gyatso nodded, "We do not know for sure however. There is no evidence that the previous Avatar has passed. But you remember the night he was born yourself. The monks suspected it since he came out of his mother's womb."

Monk Jiao nodded, bringing Aang to his chest, "I am honored that you've told me this information."

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes Elder?"

"Is Aang really Monk Jigako's son?"

Monk Jiao blushed and nodded quickly, "Yes, yes he is without a doubt. He is my brother's son."

Monk Gyatso nodded, "I only asked because of your reaction the first time I asked if he was yours. I know you fancied Nun Demoska as much as your brother did. But she would not like a boy the complete opposite of Jigako; loud and a trouble making prankster." He smiled, "But kind hearted and grateful."

Jiao blushed a bit more, "I did love her but…I could never have her. She was Jigako's. Besides, Nun Demoska could always tell us apart, unlike most people. Either way, 8 months ago I had no idea I'd be raising their son."

Monk Gyatso nodded once more, "I must tell you, if anything ever happened to you, I would be entrusted to take care of Aang. I hope that you teach him well and live a long life as his father in Jigako's place."

"Listen…Elder…"

"Please...just Gyatso. I am here as a friend."

He sat down on the floor, "It's just that…the Fire Nation has been getting out of control. I believe they've already threatened the balance of the world and will not stop until the balance is gone. And no one's seen or heard from the Avatar." He bounced Aang on his lap, "Other than my little buddy here. It's just that…the Fire Nation has been attacking a lot of Air Nomads again. We haven't done anything to them at all! The Eastern Air Temple had to fight against a raid of them. They killed my brother when he just became a father! What if they came here? I will have to fight and no one will be able to watch Aang and…" He started to tear up.

Gyatso frowned, reaching and rubbing the man's shoulder, "You are very protective of little Aang already because of what happened to his parents. I appreciate you wanting to fight for your people, but your place is here at home watching little Aang. I beg that you do not go fight the Fire Nation. Aang is something special for us already. I know how much he means to you Monk Jiao."

"He means the world to me. I want to be a good father before I send him to you to learn airbending to be a Master. And I'll be here to teach him at home and help him practice. He can't help any of the things that happened when he was born. Those were fate at work, not him. He hasn't done anything wrong."

"I know. He means that much to me as well."

"He does?"

"When I looked into his eyes when he was a newborn, there was something there that just, made me want to tend to him like a son. I couldn't help but come visit him, as I will often." Gyatso smiled widely, "I will help you take care of him."

Jiao sniffled, "Thank you Elder Gyatso!"

Aang reached his little hands towards Monk Gyatso, giggling.

Jiao smiled, "And he seems to really like you too."

"Indeed he does."

"I wish with all my heart that he becomes a very happy, carefree child. That's how I want to raise him. To be like the wind itself. For my brother and for Nun Demoska. I know they wouldn't want him any other way."

Monk Gyatso nodded, and wished in his heart that things go the way everyone wanted them to. However that was not the case.

**

_Aang was going on three years old and the Fire Nation attacked the Air Nomads again. Fire Lord Sozin had his astronomers watching the skies. The sun gave them power, but there had to be something else to increase their power tenfold. His theory was that the skies would somehow give the firebenders unimaginable power. Just as the sun lights up the entire sky with its awesome power. He'd have to wait a century for it if he had to._

_The year Sozin learned to look towards the sky, he'd unleashed another raid on airbenders who came to defend their temples. Sozin believed the Air Nomads a race of people unfit to live in his new world and that they were a threat which needed to be completely wiped out in order for his kingdom to progress. His attempts to destroy them all failed and they continued to defend their homes. Monk Jiao died even though he'd trained and had gotten as good as his long passed elder twin brother. He sacrificed himself for someone else, meeting the same fate as Jigako at the hands on Fire Lord Sozin and the dragon._

*

"Monk Jiao, 21, was a powerful, reliable airbender. Single father to his now orphaned nephew, Aang. He had a big heart and worked hard to fill in the gaps that his passed brother Monk Jigako left behind. He was a man who worked solely to regain peace and wanted to defend his home without a second thought. I, his teacher, Monk Eiji, knew of the free spirit and prankster that he was in his youth. He was a child the complete opposite of his brother. He wasn't serious until he had to be. He loved to have fun, make noise, and speak loudly, even in the temples. I loved him like a son and knew he would do great things just like his brother. He was nervous to be a young father at 18, but did his best and worked to raise a happy child who can be described like peaceful wind itself. He died a sacrifice and hero to us, taking on and challenging Fire Lord Sozin by himself and fighting with a strength never seen before by any Air Nomad. Witnesses say he was even more powerful and great than the deceased Monk Jigako as he fought for his brother and for little Aang 3 years of age. We will miss him dearly. I will miss him…"

Monk Gyatso lowered his head whispering to himself, "Monk Jiao, you denied it all along and took the secret to your grave. I don't know what happened between you, your brother, and Nun Demoska…but I believe without a doubt that you are Aang's real father."

*

"Monk Gyatso. You are the only person here with any ties to the orphan Aang. He is placed in your care since the death of his last blood related family member, Monk Jiao. We found a scroll in Monk Jiao's house stating his will. It says clearly and concisely that you raise Aang."

Monk Gyatso looked forlornly to both Jiao's grave and to the three year old Aang that he would have to father. It was Monk Jiao's dying wish. In his opinion, Monk Jiao wanted to fight the Fire Lord and knew that he would not come home alive. His will was written the night before his death. Monk Gyatso vowed that he would raise Aang as Jiao would have. Let him be the happy, free spirit that his parents and uncle were. Raise him like a normal child. Have him become a Master airbender as it ran in his family. The child was destined for greatness considering his origins alone. Remembering Jiao's words about fate, he held nothing against Aang for Roku's death after discovering the truth. He loved Aang like his own son. Taught him Pai Sho, how to airbend, how to be a free spirit, and be as good at pranks as both he and Monk Jiao were. He knew Monk Jiao would have loved a child with a sense of humor.

The Elder Monks discovered that Aang was the Avatar indeed and they were going to announce it to him when he turned 16 years of age.

And then he turned 12…


End file.
